About

Meet Historical Fantasy Author

Mandy Schimelpfenig

Mandy received her B.S. in Zoology from Washington State University and an A.S. in Veterinary Technology from St. Petersburg College. Clearly her life goals were not geared toward a career as an author. She is a Certified Veterinary Technician specializing in small animals. When she’s not saving lives, she’s weaving tales of strong women using their intelligence to pursue incandescent happy endings. The Rise of Riverstone is the debut novel in her Daughters of Riverstone Series. She lives on the Washington Coast with her husband and their four children. Besides leaning uncomfortably over a computer screen, Mandy enjoys camping and hiking with her family, reading, and wearing out her dogs on the beach.

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It’s pronounced “SHIM-ul-FEN-ig

You’re probably wondering what I’m doing.
In 2001, I started college at Washington State University as a Zoology/Pre-Vet major. Four years later, I graduated, moved, and proceeded to marry and have two children. For seven years, I owned a coffee shop. Then I got divorced. And then I got my life back.
In 2014, I enrolled in College once again and started a new job at a veterinary hospital. I received an A.S. in Veterinary Technology and passed the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) in 2017. I fulfilled my dream of working in veterinary medicine.

So, why am I here?
Because throughout everything, every twist and turn of my life, I’ve been writing. Since I could talk, I’ve narrated stories for my mother to dictate. I wrote stories as a child, and at 16 wrote my first novel. Being a veterinary technician may be my dream, but writing is my life.

Where does inspiration come from? Anything and everything–a name seen on a street sign, a building, a hidden waterfall. Inspiration for Laria’s story came out of boredom.
I’ve had many jobs, and one of them was cleaning a barn and caring for the horse that occupied it. It was a lonely job, and to pass the time, I told myself stories.
Laria was one of those stories. It bloomed in my mind, took on life, and over several years, turned into a novel. And I’m so excited to share it!

Frequently Asked Questions

In 2015, my husband and I went on a trip to England and we visited Jane Austen’s house in Chawton. Since she’s my favorite author, it was like visiting an old friend after being pen pals for 15 years.

If I’m writing an exciting or highly anticipated scene, it’s like a rush of adrenaline. I’ve actually sat back exhausted after writing and grinned giddily. Writing is only exhausting if I regard it as a chore, which is rare.

Never. Seeing my name on the cover is a sense of pride. Sometimes I think it would be fun to have anonymity, but not with my current series.

Right now I’m obsessed with the characters I created in The Rise of Riverstone, so I’ll be telling their stories for the next several books. Each will focus on a different woman within the family.

Professional editor and cover designer.

The next two books in the series are finished and going through first edits before professional editing. The fourth book has the first few chapters written and outlines are sketched out for two more books.

I spend hours researching. When you’re writing around a particular historical period, it’s important to keep it accurate. From the language, clothing, weaponry, customs, medicine, and technology, everything is scrutinized before it makes it to the page. This means it could take hours to write a particular scene. I referenced Merriam-Webster, Wikipedia, and subject specific articles found on Google.

Many of the names have old gaelic and celtic influences. Some are made up using Google translator for specific traits the character has.

About a year due to my work and family schedule. Because I don’t work with a publisher, I don’t have the pressure of writing under a deadline.

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